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Alexandre Lacazette: The Lyon striker on Premier League radars

Lyon's French forward Alexandre Lacazette celebrates after scoring a goal

After scoring 21 goals in Ligue 1 this season, Alexandre Lacazette appears to have caught the attentions of several clubs around Europe.

West Ham have shown their intent, with a £31m bid rejected on Tuesday, while there have been reports that Manchester United and Liverpool are also interested.

But what would the 24-year-old bring to the Premier League and how much is it likely to cost to lure him away from Lyon? We look at some of the key questions...

Why all the fuss?

Lacazette's profile has increased significantly over the last couple of years.

From scoring 23 league goals combined in his first three seasons as a regular starter, in 2014/15 he notched 27 times to finish as top scorer in France, and also won the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award.

He started slow this season, only scoring five times in the first 15 games, but finished strongly to end up second behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the scoring charts.

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At 5ft 9in, he is not as strong in the air as Ibrahimovic and far less of a target man. Instead, he likes to get involved with play, linking up with fellow forwards - mainly Maxwel Cornet and Rachid Ghezzal this season - and helping create opportunities in and around the box.

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Image: Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a higher whoscored.com rating than Lacazette among strikers in Ligue 1 this season

He created 43 chances in the league this season, had a shot accuracy of 57 per cent, and in 2014/15 he had the best chance conversion rate in Ligue 1 (35 per cent).

While that has dropped off this year, only three players in France contributed to a bigger percentage of their team goals than Lacazette (32 per cent). He was also rated as the second best striker in Ligue 1 by whoscored.com, behind Ibrahimovic, with an average of 7.36.

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Michy Batshuayi, another forward in France who has been linked to the Premier League, recorded an average rating of 6.96.

So is Lacazette new on the scene?

Not really. He will turn 25 on May 28 and made his first-team debut with Lyon six years ago. Since then he has made more than 200 appearances for the club, including playing in the last-32 of the Champions League and quarter-finals of the Europa League.

In this season's Champions League, he scored against Zenit St Petersburg and Valencia as Lyon finished bottom of their group.

They should play Champions League and play good football, passing the ball and not just hitting it from box to box. Not kick and rush. It would not work for me.
Lacazette on his preferred team style

He has also been capped 10 times by France but has not been included in their squad for Euro 2016, with Anthony Martial, Olivier Giroud and Andre-Pierre Gignac preferred up front.

Lyon head coach Bruno Genesio said he was "very disappointed" that Lacazette did not make the squad.

Does he want to move to the Premier League?

There have been mixed messages. His agent said in March that he expects to be at Lyon next season but, more recently, there was not quite such commitment from the player himself.

"Will I still be in Ligue 1 next season? I will think about it," Lacazette told Canal+. "I need to take good decisions. I am very happy at the club. If there is better elsewhere, then I will see. I am happy at the club, but we will think about it."

Lyon's French forward Alexandre Lacazette celebrates with team-mate Gaetan Perrin
Image: Lacazette helped Lyon finish second in Ligue 1

In January he told the Daily Telegraph that the Premier League is "very attractive" while outlining his criteria for a team he would join.

"They should play Champions League and play good football, passing the ball and not just hitting it from box to box. Not kick and rush. It would not work for me," he said.

Do Lyon want/need to sell?

Their president, Jean-Michel Aulas, has been known to strike a hard bargain in the past - think Michael Essien's prolonged transfer to Chelsea. He has said that he wants Lacazette to stay and in March went so far as to say that the striker leaving this summer would be "simply impossible".

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But a larger offer than the one put forward by West Ham could test Lyon's resolve, with reports suggesting they might sell for around £39.1million.

Lyon's position is strengthened by the fact the striker signed a new deal until 2019 and they can offer Champions League football next season after finishing second in Ligue 1.

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Is there other interest aside from the Premier League?

There has also been reported interest from Spain, with La Liga champions Barcelona and Atletico Madrid among the clubs said to be keen on Lacazette.

Paris Saint-Germain have also been mentioned as potential suitors as they look for a replacement for Ibrahimovic.

Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso said his team-mate could "adapt to many clubs" but his head coach, Genesio, believes it would be in his best interests to stay.

"For me, the correct choice would be to stay at Lyon."

Whether Lacazette heeds that advice remains to be seen.

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